INSPIRE Faculty Scheme

Ministry of Science and Technology
Department of Science and Technology

5th Advertisement – 2013 (2)

INSPIRE Faculty Scheme: A Component of ‘Assured Opportunity for Research Career (AORC)’ under INSPIRE

The Department of Science and Technology, Government of India, has launched the ‘Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE)’ [http://www.inspire-dst.gov.in] programme in 2008. The programme aims to attract talent for study of science and careers with research. INSPIRE includes many components for different age groups. The importance of Assured Career Opportunity in R&D sector has been recognized. INSPIRE Faculty Award Scheme opens up an ‘Assured Opportunity for Research Career (AORC)’ for young researchers in the age group of 27–32 years. The upper age limit as on 1 July 2013 should be 32 years for considering support for a period of 5 years. However, for SC and ST candidates upper age limit will be 35 years. It offers a contractual research awards to young achievers and opportunity for independent research in the near term and emerge as a future leader in the long term.

Each selected INSPIRE Faculty shall be eligible to receive a consolidated amount equivalent to the entry level salary of an Assistant Professor in any IIT system as an Award amount, in addition to a Research Grant of Rs 7 lakhs per year. The INSPIRE Faculty Award is tenable for a maximum period of 5 (five) years.
Three routes, i.e. Direct (A), Nomination (B) and Institution mode are available for applying by the eligible candidates.
Under ‘Institutions Mode’, reputed academic institutions shall be required to adopt and complete the internal process as per guidelines and mechanisms available for the INSPIRE Faculty Award before forwarding names of pre-selected candidates for final selection by the Apex Committee.
Eligible candidate, who wish to be considered in ‘Direct (A)’ and ‘Nominated (B)’ routes, may send applications directly to Indian National Science Academy (INSA), New Delhi for consideration.
Nominations from academic institutions or Industry R&D through Vice-Chancellors/Directors of Institutions/Heads of Institutions/Presidents and Fellows of Science Academies or Eminent Scientists from India and Abroad based on personal knowledge under ‘Nominated Mode’.
Candidates need to apply through one Mode only, either Direct or Nominations or Institute Mode.
Use of more than one Mode shall call for rejection of application.
Students, who intend to apply Direct or Nomination Mode, may only apply either off-line or on-line.

Application formats with detailed Guidelines are available at the website: www.inspire-dst.gov.in for information and download in case of Off-line submissions. To apply on-line, please visit the website: www.online-inspire.gov.in and follow the process prescribed therein. On-line submission will commence on 16 August 2013 and will close by 15 September 2013. After submission of application through on-line, the candidate must obtain a print of the application thus submitted.

Applications either submitted through on-line or by off-line method by eligible candidates both in Direct Mode (A)/Nominated Mode (B), must reach in the prescribed format completed in all respect with hard copies of the necessary enclosures to The Executive Director, Indian National Science Academy (INSA), Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi 110 002 on or before 15 September 2013.